Thursday Thirteen: Litanies

This week I was thinking about litanies. I heard them in church during the prayers (lists of persons who were named though their needs were not) and at school during morning announcements (the kids suspended in-house for the day) and saw them on war monuments, grave markers...

I thought of how important names are--to hear and to touch, as is the case with war monuments such as the Vietnam Memorial. People will travel great distances to touch a name in a list. Naming involves, writing, reading, speaking, hearing, touching. Yet, what is it, really? I think it's a short hand that says you, who have a name that marks your soul as a unique miracle, are exactly that. A unique miracle.

Naming is about loving one another. With that in mind, here's a litany on love.

Interesting list -- when I was a child and a litany was said at church, it was just a long list to me. The list of names for prayers becomes a litany and all that is needed because when we say the name of each their needs are uplifted in prayer, God accepts our "cry" for help and already knows what each needs. Our words acknowledge our dependence on God for the outcome.

A great 13 again Sandy and thank you. For me, as I am sure you know, the most important name is the name of our Creator, which in English speaking countries we render as Jehovah. That is the most majestic name of all time with Jesus being a close second in importance for me.

Very interesting post, Sandy. I just showcased a Remembrance Day event here in Canada that involved the projecting of the names of all the WWI soldiers who died in that war. It was remarkable and very, very moving.

Also, I've always noticed that babies and my dog want very much to hear me speak the name of something they are keen on sharing with me. The simple naming of something creates a dialogue and a bond.